


Safety in Numbers

by NoirAngel011



Series: Different Aftermaths of Starcourt; As Told By A Highschooler with Caffeine Withdrawal [3]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Pillow & Blanket Forts, Season 3 Finale, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-06-09 14:31:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19477858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoirAngel011/pseuds/NoirAngel011
Summary: The aftermath of the battle of the starcourt.





	Safety in Numbers

_Safety in Numbers_

Dawn was breaking when they all met back up around Jonathon's car. They were all still in shock. They all had tears tracks down their faces and were rubbing at their eyes from a lack of sleep.

Max immediately bolted into Lucas's arms, starting to sob again. El stayed pressed up against Mike's side. Will walked slowly in between Joyce and Jonathon, with Nancy on the other side of Jon.

Robin and Steve had run off to get Erica and Dustin and brought them back safely. Erica sicked close to Lucas's side while he tried to calm Max down. Dustin, Robin, and Steve stood in a small group off to the side, the two older teens catching Dustin up to speed.

They all realized that someone was missing simultaneously. Murray had just come walking up to them.

"Where's Hop?!" Dustin asked, looking around. El's eyes skirted to the ground. Joyce and Will looked away as well.

"We would be gone if he was here, " El piped up, her voice dangerously low.

Max burrowed further into Lucas's side, her fingernails digging into his arm. Mike hugged El tighter and Jonathon wrapped his arms around Will and Nancy.

Sirens wailed in the distance as the group took time to silently grieve their lost friend. Murray left shortly after that, going off who knows where.

Soon, they decided to go to Steve's house. Well, Joyce and Steve made the executive decision. Everyone piled into the cars that still operated, Jonathon's and the stolen car. Nancy, Jonathon, Joyce, Will, Mike, and El in Jonathon's car. Steve, Robin, Max, Lucas, Erica, and Dustin all squeezing into Todd's car.

The trip to Steve's was silent. El, Will, Max, and Erica all falling asleep on the ride. Jonathon's group pulled up to the large house first. Steve' parents were out of town so they had the whole house to themselves. Jonathon scooped up his brother and Mike picked up El, carrying them inside.

The house was large and Nancy led them through the corridors to a back living room, much more suitable for actual living rather than looks. Will had woken up and took a seat in a chair out of the way from everybody. Mike sat down on the loveseat with a still sleeping El while the rest went looking for blankets and sleeping bags. Maybe they could all catch a few z's while the adrenaline faded.

Steve pulled up to his house and everyone climbed out. Steve picked up Max and Lucas carried Erica. Robin opened the door, surprised to find nobody insight.

"Guys, we're here!" She called. No response. They jumped when they heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Sorry guys didn't mean to scare you. Everyone's in the back den." Nancy said, her arms full of blankets. The group filed through. Lucas laid Erica down onto a large chair and took Max from Steve, holding her in his lap as he sat down on the couch. Robin and Steve joined Nancy, Jonathon, and Joyce in the hunt for blankets while Dustin sat down with the rest of the kids, sitting next to Lucas and Max.

"So Robin and Steve got drugged, " He said, as casually as if he had said "the sky is blue"

Everyone's eyes widened. "What did you say?!" Mike screamed a little too loud, waking up Max and Erica. Max glared at him. He smiled at her sheepishly.

"Yeah, they got kidnapped by the Russians and drugged. They acted insane for hours," Erica spoke up, catching onto the topic of conversation. Max stared at her like she had gone insane.

'I'm sorry, what?! Russians?" Max asked, raising an eyebrow as Dustin.

"Evil Russians. Under Starcourt." Dustin corrected.

"And they drugged Robin and Steve?" She asked.

"Yep! It happened, " Robin said, dumping a pile of blankets onto the floor.

The others filed into the room. Nancy and Jonathon brought pillows and Joyce carried in two more sleeping bags.

"We should build a fort," Mike said. The room was just big enough to create a cozy fort to hold everyone. Everyone silently agreed and started putting together a large blanket fort, El waking up just in time to help.

They covered the floor in comforters and sleeping bags so it was plush and built up a roof by pulling three blankets from one couch to another. Dustin moved the TV across the room.

Soon everyone was settled in. Joyce had gone to make some phone calls to the kid's parents. Max was laying in between Steve and Lucas, her head on Lucas's chest. El was up against a couch with Mike on one side of her and Jonathon on the other. Nancy was next to Jonathon, closest to the TV. Robin was curled up in Steve's arms. She fell asleep quickly, the remaining drugs in her system making her tired. Dustin was on the other side of her with Erica next to him. Will was in the kitchen with his mom, not ready to go to sleep yet.

They all drifted in and out of sleep. Nightmares haunted everybody and made it difficult to rest well. The fort blocked out the morning light coming from the windows so the group could rest without being blinded by the sun.

It would be a long road, but at least they had each other to confine in. They were safe in another's arms. After all, there was always safety in numbers.


End file.
